Saturday, December 19, 2009

Happy Birthday!

Yet for most of my life, I was neglected and nobody cared or talked about me.

However, about ten years ago, my caretakers suggested that I change my look (get a new haircut, change my wardrobe, those sort of things).

Boy did that help.

In some circles at least, I am now the most popular person in the room.

Lawyers travel to the far reaches of the globe just to determine if I am relevant, corporations publicly disclose potential dates with me, there are seminars and training sessions about me, lawyers run to Washington D.C. (my birthplace) to tell my caretakers how relevant I am (when in fact I may not be relevant at all) ... and, I even hear there are a few blogs devoted to me.

Who am I?

Why of course I am the FCPA and today is my 32nd birthday!

*****

On December 19, 1977, the FCPA was enacted. On December 20, 1977, President Carter signed the FCPA into law.

Hosting an FCPA birthday party?

Here is the signing statement to read just before the candles are placed on the cake. After cake, instead of a game of “pin the cash-filled suitcase on the foreign official” how about a discussion as to whether the enacting Congress and President Carter would even recognize certain enforcement theories which have become a hallmark of current enforcement of the FCPA.